California Biographies
Mendocino and Lake Counties, California
Transcribed by Peggy Hooper
This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm
Source:
History of Mendocino and Lake Counties, California
With Biographical Sketches
History by Aurelius O. Carpenter And Percy H. Millberry
Illustrated, Complete In One Volume
Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, California, 1914
WILLIAM B. McCABE.� Though Mr. McCabe is not one of the oldest
residents of Lake county in point of age, there are few of its citizens who can
boast a longer residence there. He came here with his parents in the fall of
1858, settling in Big valley, in what was then Napa county. The family had
migrated to California some five years previously. Born December 21, 1851,
in Navarro county, Texas, Mr. McCabe was only two years old when his
parents, Philip Thurman and Lucinda (McCutcheon) McCabe, came to this
state. They were natives of Missouri. For a year after their arrival in
California they lived at Volcano, in Amador county, thence moving to Healds-
burg, in Sonoma county, and from there to Lake county, where they passed
the remainder of their lives. Mr. McCabe bought one hundred and sixty
acres of land at Hell's Bend, Big valley, and settled on that place, his wife
dying there when forty-two years old. He also died in Big valley, in 1912,
at the advanced age of ninety. Of the nine children born to Mr. and Mrs.
Philip T. McCabe two died in infancy in Texas, the others growing to matur-
ity, viz. : Mary is the widow of John Jones, who resided in the East Upper
Lake precinct, in Clover valley, and she has four children living; Narcissa,
who lives in Scotts valley. Lake county, is the widow of Charles Jones;
William B. is mentioned below; Alpheus, deceased, a farmer and stockman,
married Jennie Johnson and left five children ; Philip, who lives at Upper
Lake, married Elvira Wainscott, and has a family of eight children ; Amanda
lives in Round valley, Mendocino county, widow of William Tony (she has
no children living) ; Thomas is a farmer in Spokane county. Wash.
William B. McCabe lived at the home place in Big valley until fourteen
years old, when his father sold out and moved to Scotts valley. He continued
to work at home until twenty-two years old, at which time he married, and
he has since been engaged in farming on his own account. The property he
now occupies, at the head of Clover Creek valley, is the old Waldfogle place,
and comprises two hundred acres, one hundred and twenty of which are plow
land. It is owned by his son-in-law. Frederick L. Morrison, from whom he
has rented it for the last six years. Mr. McCabe carries on general agricul-
tural pursuits, raises cattle, hogs, horses and poultry, and is an industrious
and persistent worker. He is an intelligent man and a thoroughly good citi-
zen, and he and his good wife have earned the respect in which they are held
by all their neighbors. Mrs. McCabe, whose maiden name was Hannah
Wainscott, was born in Decatur county, Iowa, where her parents, James and
Artemisia (Sheppard) Wainscott. were married. The father was a native of
Tennessee, the mother of Virginia. They came to California over the plains
in 1862. by ox team, and first settled in San Joaquin county, where Mr. Wain-
scott farmed for a time. Coming to Lake county, he spent about one year
here, and then moved over to Mendocino county. He and his wife are now
deceased. They had a family of eight children, five of whom survive : Alex-
ander, living at Fresno, Cal. ; Louisa, in Sonoma county, this state; Mary, at
Point Richmond, Cal.; Sarah, who died in childhood; Hannah, Mrs. McCabe;
Belle, who married and died in Texas, leaving eight children ; Elvira, wife of
Philip McCabe ; and Mattie, who died in childhood.
Mrs. McCabe was five years old when she crossed the plains with her
parents. She and her husband have had eight children, namely : Philip, of
Wardner, Idaho, engaged in silver and lead mining, married Bertha Thomp-
son, of Washington ; Trueman, who is unmarried, is a farmer residing at
Harrington, Wash.; Orville, who married Alice Graham, a native of Oregon,
lives at home with his father, assisting him in the operation of the ranch ;
Annie L. is the wife of Frederick L. Morrison ; Leslie, who lives at Oakland,
married Myrtle Jeanette. of Ukiah ; James is a miner, at Wardner, Idaho;
Caswell died when eleven years old ; Zula, who lives at Wardner, Idaho, is
attending the Kellogg-Wardner high school. Mr. and Mrs. McCabe are
members of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Upper Lake. He is a Demo-
crat on political issues.
Frederick L. Morrison, son-in-law of William B. McCabe, is one of the
large land owners on the east side of Clear Lake, his holdings, besides the
property where the McCabes live, comprising eight hundred and ten acres
which was part of his father's estate. His father, Samuel L. Morrison, was
one of the pioneers of Lake county, and his brothers are also prosperous resi-
dents of the Upper Lake section.